UPDATED: My Father Is Awesome
Update: I told my father that I'd written this about him and, rather than being upset, he was, his word, "honored." Just one more reason why he's the man.
The following is a conversation that I had with my father last night, about 7:30pm. I've tried to get it as verbatim as possible, but my memories of the evening are inexplicably a bit fuzzy. Anyhow, this conversation, such as it is, is a perfect encapsulation of who my father is and why I love him:
Me: Hey Pop, what's shakin'?
Dad: Not a lot. What are you up to?
Me: Just watching The Simpsons, drinking a beer.
Dad: Nice... I, myself, am enjoying a glass of wine.
Me: (pause) Dad... it sounds like you're in the car.
Dad: Okay, a cup of wine. Look, I know it's illegal as hell. But it's fine.
Me: Hey, you know I don't care.
Dad: See, I come from a generation that knew how to drink and drive. It was just what you did, back in the day. It's a miracle me and my buddies didn't kill people, actually.
Me: Okay, okay... I'm not hassling you, don't worry. Just, you know, be careful. Texas is a pain in the ass about that kind of thing.
Dad: Please. I'm not going far. And I want you to know that I'm against drunk driving.
Me: Clearly. So... What kind of wine?
Dad: Red. Always red.
The following is a conversation that I had with my father last night, about 7:30pm. I've tried to get it as verbatim as possible, but my memories of the evening are inexplicably a bit fuzzy. Anyhow, this conversation, such as it is, is a perfect encapsulation of who my father is and why I love him:
Me: Hey Pop, what's shakin'?
Dad: Not a lot. What are you up to?
Me: Just watching The Simpsons, drinking a beer.
Dad: Nice... I, myself, am enjoying a glass of wine.
Me: (pause) Dad... it sounds like you're in the car.
Dad: Okay, a cup of wine. Look, I know it's illegal as hell. But it's fine.
Me: Hey, you know I don't care.
Dad: See, I come from a generation that knew how to drink and drive. It was just what you did, back in the day. It's a miracle me and my buddies didn't kill people, actually.
Me: Okay, okay... I'm not hassling you, don't worry. Just, you know, be careful. Texas is a pain in the ass about that kind of thing.
Dad: Please. I'm not going far. And I want you to know that I'm against drunk driving.
Me: Clearly. So... What kind of wine?
Dad: Red. Always red.
posted by Clinton at 9:11 AM
28 Comments:
My Dad is AWESOME too!
When he would take me and my brothers and sisters trick or treating he would throw on a wig and a pair of sunglasses and bring a shot glass with him.
Seriously.
Your dad and my dad would get along famously.
You're dad sounds awesome, sophisticated yet down to Earth about his consumption of wine.
Dad is very much a "wine guy." He was a restauranteur for many, many years and he really picked up a taste for it through that.
I think my dad would also get along with yours and Lioux's dads. He used to have a walking stick with a brass duck head that you could unscrew to reveal a wee flask inside the stick. Helps warm up those post-dinner walks! Dads are cool.
I want one of the walking sticks like yesterday. Awesome. Yeah, I love having a father who's always got me beat in the "crazy drinking stories" department.
If nothing else, the man tore it up in his youth. Always respected him for that.
I know Louisiana has 'em, but I am pretty sure I saw a few drive through liquor stores last time I was in Texas. Am I mistaken?
You are so on the money. I used to live a few blocks from one when I was in Austin. It was just a big barn-looking contraption that you actually drove through; truly a marvel.
It's like Father's Day on ZFS.blogspot.com.
And this past summer (while my band Sister Kisser®™©™ was on the road) we made use of a Drive Thru liquor store down south somewhere.
Your band name is spectacular! What kind of music do you play?
It's very David Lynchy, soundtrack popish. We get compared a lot to Mazzy Star®™©™.
I play a 12 string acoustic guitar named Fernando.
That's the second time I've had Mazzy Star brought up in the comments in the last 12 hours. Something's afoot.
Anyway, sounds cool. Fernando is a great name for a guitar; ABBA reference, or is your guitar genuinely of the Latin persuasion?
ABBA.
HA! My cousin named her car Fernando for the same reason. Sister Kisser™™ is not the real band name, but they're totally making an awesome record so you'll know the real name soon, and Lioux will help us all rise to fame, and then we can do nothing but loaf around drinkin' with dads all day. Or, you know, leave comments all day or whatever.
That's great because I really am not enjoying this whole "work" thing.
Paranthetically, if I were still living in Arlington, I would totally hang out with my Dad and drink most of the day. We're bad influences on each other.
That's right! I saw Mazzy Star rocking out to Abba's 'Fernando', at that driv thru liquor store in Austin.
Just as I was about to get on that 'crazy train'.
Were they eating a Double Filet O' Fish?
Thanks for the Kudos, Colleen.
I'm not crazy about this whole "work" thing either.
And OMG BD I had no idea our paths once crossed...
Ha!
Not only is Clinton's dad awesome, but the whole post was awesome and the comments, as well, were awesome.
This actually cleared up something for me: I had previously thought that there was no "open container" law in Texas, or if there was, it was that you got a ticket for not having an open container while driving...
Seriously, you want to get a good idea for how much drinking while driving used to be a part of Texas culture, read "The Last Good Kiss" by James Crumley. Even though it's set in Montana, he's a Texas writer in the best sense of the word. Helluva hard-boiled detective novel...
I love red wine.
Yea thats all I've got.
~Irish
Wow...
I...
WOW...
This explains so much. =]
That whole story reminded me of going out to eat with my folks, especially if we were on vacation, and my Mom finishing the pitcher so that my Dad could drive. That was her excuse every time. Also of this time when my brother was making drinks and the drunker my grandmother got the more she accused my bro of being an alcoholic because he made such good drinks. Christmas rules in my family. We all give/get scotch.
C.R. III... Thanks dude! I'm totally going to check out that book you mentioned. Love a good detective yarn. Anyway, yeah, Texas used to have super-loose (dirty!) open container laws, but then a bunch of people died and now they're one of the strictest states in the country about shit like that. Their DWI penalties are notoriously harsh.
Irish... Me too, but not the red wine hangovers. Brutal.
Joel... You've met my Dad, you know what he's like. Wait... you HAVE met my Dad, right?
J... Your family sounds like a hoot. With my fam, it's just my Dad who likes to get "into his cups." Everyone else are a bunch of lightweights.
Here's a holiday family recipie.
What's great about that recepie is that it's not just for the holidays. It's good all year round!
I think I'm going to e-mail my dad this post too, I think he'd enjoy it.
Zombie Fights Shark! is all about bringing families close together.
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